Discharge control for fluid-receptacles.



J. E. CARROLL & W. H. ANDREWS.

DISCHARGE CONTROL FOR FLUID RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I0. 1914.

1 9 1 52,485 Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

//IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"O @FMDE- JOHN E. cannon AND WI LIAM H. ANDREWS, or BOSTON, nassacnnsnr'rs,

assrenons, BY MESNE AESIGND/IENTS, TO wrznnn Tran INFLATOR & FIRE nn'rrneursnna 00., A conronnrron or MASSACHUSETTS.

DISCHARGE CONTROL FOR IELUID-RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. '1, 1915.

Application filed January 10, 1914. Serial No. 811,459.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN CARROLL and WILLIAM H. ANDREWS, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Discharge Control for Fluid- Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to discharge control of receptacles for fluid under pressure, particularly for receptacles containing in liquid form fluid which at the prevailing temperature and at normal pressure is gaseous; such as, for instance, liquid air or liquid carbonic dioXid. For lack of a better definitive general term, we will refer to fluids of the character indicated as liquid gas.

In particular, our invention is intended for use with fluid receptacles to be used for inflating pneumatic tires, and comprises devices which, while especially adapted to this service, maywell be used in other situations.

The apparatus we have invented belongs to that class in which the act of inserting a tubular nipple causes the intrudednipple to lift a check valve and permit the escape of fluid confined in the receptacle through the tubular nipple to whatever place the dis charged fluid is destined. No apparatus of this class, however, so far as we are aware, has presented a construction which adapts its working parts to effective orprolonged service in receptacles containing fluids under very high pressure. To the latter. condition our invention is particularly addressed.

In the drawings hereto annexed in which we illustrate our invention, Figure 1 shows, in cross section, a tire-inflating bottle which comprises our invention; and Fig. 2 shows, in cross section, much enlarged, the receptacle closure and valve control which characterize our invention.

The bottle F, composed by preference of seamless sheet steel, drawn to tubular shape, is originally in two parts, each of more or less elongated cup-shape; these are joined by electro-welding or'other welding process at the line F. Before the completion of the closed bottle by welding, the closure and I I discharge control devices are assembled in the end ofone of thesteel cup-shaped members. These devices are best shown in Fig. 2.

The closure comprises, an apertured plug B, B, externally and internally threaded, and a cap D, D. These two members are screwed together, 13, B outside and D, D inside, the cup-shaped member F. A packing ring C is clamped betweenthe flange of the plug B, B, and the wall of the receptacle F. Within the hollow top of the cap D, D the valve E is housed. This valve is preferably composed of flexible material, such as rubber, and is provided with two recessesE in its lower, or seating side. The flexible valve E seats on the inner end of the plug B, B, which is furnished with an annular ridgeB The members B, B, and D, D, are both, by preference, composed of a readily fusible metal, such for instance, as that employed in automatic fire-sprinklers, so that, in case the fluid receptacle should be exposed to greathcat, there will be less danger of its exploding, since the fusion of the closure members, or either of them, will permit the retained fluid to escape fromthe receptacle. The valve E is so placed that when the receptacle F is screwed on to the tubular nipple A, the end of the nipple will finally intrude into the receptacle far enough to lift the valve E from its seat. In the specific instance used for illustration, the nipple A is thethreaded valve containing stem of a pneumatic tire, and, as these stems in the standard form are provided each with. a conical shoulder A, we. employ this shoulder, and a coacting conicalsurface A in the central perforation of the closure plugB, B, to limit the intrusion of the nip ple A into the receptacle F, so that the maximum opening of the valve E is predetermined.

Since the receptacle F is intendedto carry fluid, or liquid gas, under very great .pressure-as high as 3000 pounds to the square inch,it is obvious that it would not .be practicable to attempt lifting a valve of any considerable area. Furthermore, if a very small valve were employed, wlth a correspondingly small area to bear upon a -valve-lifter, such as the tubular nipple A,

the effective pressure per square inch upon the coacting surfaces would be too high for practical service. In orderto reconcile these ,two desiderata s small valve opening and large bearing surface for the valve-lifter,- we have contrived the flexible valve illustrated in the drawings, and means for opening this valve one-sidedly.

- The valve E is' opened by the end of the I valve-lifter A, when the latter rises above the valve seat. If the plane of the valve seat, and that of the end of the valvelifter, are always parallel, the tendency will be to lift the valve squarely from its seat, and this would require high pressure between the valve and the lifter, pressure so high that even were both valve and lifter of equallyresistant material, one or both would eventually become injured. In order to. avoid this, we shape the plane of the valve seat and that of the end of the valvelifter so that they stand at a slight angle to one anothen In the specific instance shown in the drawings this is accomplished by giving the valve seating surface of B, B, a slight angle or bevel, so that the 7 side B is lower than the side B With a valve seat about five-eighths'of an inch in extreme diameter, a slope of one-thirtysec 0nd of an inch will suflice. Thus, the upper end of the valve-lifter A first strikes the valve Eat the point A, and, as the valve is flexible, the lifter soon secures ample bearing on the valve, and yet has to overcomefonly a small total pressure, since the edge only of the valve E has to be lifted- 1 It is as thougha .thin knife blade were in- [the high side of the valve in position, as

though by a hinge, and. makes certain the accurate return of the valve to its original, seat. 'The valve E is put in place with the spring G (which may be dispensedwith) pressingit lightly to its seat; thus final and secure seating is effected when the fluid contents of the "receptacle F are injected'under pressure. The recess in the valve E is preferably in two places, E, E, so that, however the' valve E may place itself on the vseat, one-or bothrof the recesses E will provide a passage for fluid escaping into the tubular valve lifter A.

When, as we intend, the abovedescribed receptacle and discharging devices are used a to hold and to discharge liquid-gas, like liquid carbonic dioxid,the following ruleof construction should be followed. In a series of experiments we met with difiiculty due to the production of intense cold at constricted areas in the discharge conduit, and consequent accumulation of frost, which effectively put the apparatus out of action. This takes place Whenever a constriction leads to an expanded area, so that expansion and production of gas from liquid takes place abruptly, absorbing heat and frosting the surface. We so arrange the predetermined maximum opening of the valve E with respect to the passages in the conduit leading forth from the receptacle F, that at no point in the conduit itself will the cross sectional area be materially greater than it is at the valve opening. Then, if the receptacle be applied to the valve lifter mouth down, all the contents will flow as liquid, through the conduit, not expanding into gas until the discharge end is reached, where the accumulation of frost will do no harm, if it occurs. In the instance herein shown, the inner end of the tire valve stem A is the place Where liquid gas changes from liquld to gaseous form; the obJect of using our fluid-receptacle in this case is to charge the tire tube with gas under pressure.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a closure for receptacles for fluid under pressure, the combination of an apertured member provided with a valve seat, a flexible valve cooperating with said valve seat, and a valve lifter movable to engage the flexible valve and unseat it by deformation of the valve. 2. In a closure for receptacles for fluid under pressure, the combination of an apertured member provided with a valve seat, a flexible valve cooperating with said valve seat, and a valve lifter movable to engage the flexible valve at one side thereof and unseat it by deformation of the valve.

3. In a closure for receptacles for fluid under pressure, the combination of an apertured member provided with a valve seat, a flexiblevalve cooperating with said valve seat, and a valve lifter movable to engage the flexible valve and unseat it by deformation of the valve, and means to limit the valve-deforming movement of the valve lifter.

4. Ina closure for receptacles for fluid under pressure, the combination of an apertured member provided with a valve seat, a flexible valve cooperating with said seat and having a recess on its seating side, and a tubular valve lifter movable to engage the flexible valve and unseat it by deformation of the valve, said recess in the valve providing a way for escaping fluid into the valve lifter.

5. In a closure for receptacles for fluid under pressure, the combination of an apermember to engage the valve and unseat it tured member provided with a valve seat, a Signed by us at Boston, Massachusetts, flexible valve coiiperating with said seat, and this twenty-ninth day of December, 1918. 10 a valve lifter movable in said apertured JOHN E CARROLL by deformation of the valve, the valve-en- WILLIAM ANDREWS gaging surfaces of the valve seat and valve Witnesses:

lifter lying in planes at an angle to each G. WRIGHT ARNOLD,

other. JOSEPHINE H. RYAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

